Hello forum friends. I just conculded a two plus week vacation to the fascinating country of Egypt and wanted to share my experiences with you.

We started our trip in London where we stayed for two days and enjoyed the holiday ambience in the city. We enjoyed delicious Lebanese food at our favorite Sofras in Covent Garden and just walked around the city.

From there we were off to Paris for a day on Euro Rail to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was a mild day in Paris and we enjoyed lunch at a restaurant on the Eiffel Tower and then took a boat ride on the river Sienne. From there we just walked around the river from Notre Dame to Louvre and enjoyed the city. I did manage to savor crepes from a road side stall and they were as usual great.

We then flew to Cairo and spent the first few days with a local Egyptian (arranged by some acquaintances we know there). We toured old cairo, the mosques, citadel and sights and sounds of souks. We eat shwarma and Kibbe at local joints and they were great.

We toured the pyramids and sphinx and were left in awe by their size and the skills of a civilization that existed 5000 years ago.

We also visited the Egyptian museum which is a destination not to be missed. The mummy chamber was an experience we will not forget anytime soon. To see real mummy's (not fake ones that we are used to) and see their nails, teeth and in some cases even hair preserved so well after 4000 + years is again mind boggling.

After Cairo we flew to Luxor and boarded on a nile cruise. The boat only had 50 guests and we were all a good mix of people from various continents. It was a very fun experience to get to know these folks. The boat had great service and food, we found out the boat is ranked number 8 in the world by luxury cruise magazine and Conde Nast Taveler. We enjoyed Egyptian cuisine especially Baba Ghanoush, Bamia, Omma-ali, Bus Bhusa, Baklava, Egyptian flat bread, falafel and hummus.

We visited Valley of the Kings in Luxor which is the worlds oldest graveyard known to mankind. Majority of the pharoahs were found buried here. The burial chambers are another spectacular sight. Even the colors of the intricate carvings on the walls of the tombs are intact.

We also visited spectacular temples of Karnak, Luxor, Edfu, Komombo and Philae. To see these temples and the walls with detail heiroglyphics intact after thousands of years is a sobering experience.

From Luxor we cruised on the Nile to the beautiful city of Aswan in upper Egypt. It has a European flair and to take a felucca ride (small boat) in the Nile was again a very relaxing experience.

From Aswan we came back to Cairo, enjoyed Khan e Khalil souk and local foods for yet another day and boarded our flight back to Chicago.

Overall a trip that we will not forget anytime soon. Egypt has so much history and I consider myself extremely fortunate that I could experience a little of this for me. If you are open to the good and bad that traveling to foreign lands bring Egypt will not disappoint you. The people, food and years of history of this land left a mark on our memories for ever.